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Job openings remain high at 5.4 million in May 2015

July 10, 2015

The number of job openings was little changed at 5.4 million on the last business day of May 2015. This is the highest level of job openings in the history of this data series, which BLS began publishing in December 2000. The total number of hires (5.0 million) and separations (4.7 million) were also little changed in May.

Job openings, hires, and separations, seasonally adjusted, January 2001–May 2015
Month Job openings Hires Separations

Jan 2001

5,273,000 5,801,000 5,867,000

Feb 2001

4,706,000 5,434,000 5,412,000

Mar 2001

4,618,000 5,619,000 5,689,000

Apr 2001

4,668,000 5,335,000 5,547,000

May 2001

4,444,000 5,358,000 5,486,000

Jun 2001

4,232,000 5,083,000 5,279,000

Jul 2001

4,354,000 5,173,000 5,250,000

Aug 2001

4,095,000 5,076,000 5,102,000

Sep 2001

3,973,000 4,961,000 5,175,000

Oct 2001

3,594,000 5,016,000 5,437,000

Nov 2001

3,545,000 4,887,000 5,074,000

Dec 2001

3,586,000 4,788,000 4,878,000

Jan 2002

3,587,000 4,900,000 5,107,000

Feb 2002

3,412,000 4,883,000 5,022,000

Mar 2002

3,605,000 4,626,000 4,667,000

Apr 2002

3,357,000 4,930,000 5,008,000

May 2002

3,525,000 4,923,000 5,004,000

Jun 2002

3,325,000 4,821,000 4,811,000

Jul 2002

3,343,000 5,014,000 5,089,000

Aug 2002

3,462,000 4,881,000 4,829,000

Sep 2002

3,319,000 4,870,000 4,879,000

Oct 2002

3,502,000 4,803,000 4,768,000

Nov 2002

3,585,000 4,941,000 4,807,000

Dec 2002

3,074,000 4,930,000 5,043,000

Jan 2003

3,686,000 5,008,000 4,895,000

Feb 2003

3,402,000 4,681,000 4,826,000

Mar 2003

3,101,000 4,444,000 4,684,000

Apr 2003

3,182,000 4,689,000 4,770,000

May 2003

3,201,000 4,618,000 4,722,000

Jun 2003

3,356,000 4,772,000 4,836,000

Jul 2003

3,195,000 4,721,000 4,735,000

Aug 2003

3,239,000 4,666,000 4,695,000

Sep 2003

3,054,000 4,870,000 4,726,000

Oct 2003

3,196,000 4,898,000 4,742,000

Nov 2003

3,316,000 4,726,000 4,648,000

Dec 2003

3,334,000 4,967,000 4,788,000

Jan 2004

3,391,000 4,839,000 4,681,000

Feb 2004

3,437,000 4,690,000 4,622,000

Mar 2004

3,420,000 5,170,000 4,902,000

Apr 2004

3,466,000 5,115,000 4,861,000

May 2004

3,658,000 4,951,000 4,700,000

Jun 2004

3,384,000 4,949,000 4,919,000

Jul 2004

3,835,000 4,858,000 4,837,000

Aug 2004

3,578,000 5,129,000 4,959,000

Sep 2004

3,704,000 4,984,000 4,785,000

Oct 2004

3,779,000 5,122,000 4,739,000

Nov 2004

3,456,000 5,204,000 5,118,000

Dec 2004

3,846,000 5,239,000 5,082,000

Jan 2005

3,595,000 5,187,000 5,048,000

Feb 2005

3,842,000 5,203,000 4,970,000

Mar 2005

3,891,000 5,207,000 5,132,000

Apr 2005

4,115,000 5,291,000 4,952,000

May 2005

3,824,000 5,271,000 5,114,000

Jun 2005

4,018,000 5,286,000 5,065,000

Jul 2005

4,162,000 5,301,000 4,910,000

Aug 2005

4,085,000 5,431,000 5,175,000

Sep 2005

4,227,000 5,429,000 5,291,000

Oct 2005

4,230,000 5,065,000 4,979,000

Nov 2005

4,341,000 5,227,000 4,896,000

Dec 2005

4,249,000 5,057,000 4,962,000

Jan 2006

4,278,000 5,218,000 4,937,000

Feb 2006

4,308,000 5,347,000 5,094,000

Mar 2006

4,537,000 5,294,000 5,051,000

Apr 2006

4,495,000 5,125,000 4,967,000

May 2006

4,432,000 5,470,000 5,435,000

Jun 2006

4,331,000 5,256,000 5,131,000

Jul 2006

4,081,000 5,357,000 5,121,000

Aug 2006

4,411,000 5,208,000 4,963,000

Sep 2006

4,498,000 5,213,000 5,004,000

Oct 2006

4,454,000 5,170,000 5,092,000

Nov 2006

4,622,000 5,469,000 5,290,000

Dec 2006

4,552,000 5,190,000 5,148,000

Jan 2007

4,590,000 5,195,000 5,016,000

Feb 2007

4,481,000 5,178,000 5,151,000

Mar 2007

4,657,000 5,287,000 5,121,000

Apr 2007

4,534,000 5,153,000 5,108,000

May 2007

4,531,000 5,217,000 5,048,000

Jun 2007

4,639,000 5,180,000 5,043,000

Jul 2007

4,430,000 5,106,000 5,101,000

Aug 2007

4,508,000 5,131,000 5,072,000

Sep 2007

4,481,000 5,136,000 5,019,000

Oct 2007

4,278,000 5,203,000 5,075,000

Nov 2007

4,278,000 5,177,000 5,109,000

Dec 2007

4,323,000 5,035,000 4,994,000

Jan 2008

4,223,000 4,868,000 4,937,000

Feb 2008

4,039,000 4,863,000 5,008,000

Mar 2008

4,012,000 4,759,000 4,826,000

Apr 2008

3,850,000 4,857,000 5,077,000

May 2008

4,000,000 4,604,000 4,737,000

Jun 2008

3,670,000 4,782,000 4,919,000

Jul 2008

3,762,000 4,467,000 4,673,000

Aug 2008

3,584,000 4,580,000 4,820,000

Sep 2008

3,210,000 4,297,000 4,721,000

Oct 2008

3,273,000 4,454,000 4,909,000

Nov 2008

3,059,000 3,899,000 4,653,000

Dec 2008

3,049,000 4,271,000 4,847,000

Jan 2009

2,763,000 4,111,000 4,873,000

Feb 2009

2,794,000 4,004,000 4,715,000

Mar 2009

2,493,000 3,697,000 4,565,000

Apr 2009

2,271,000 3,870,000 4,670,000

May 2009

2,413,000 3,736,000 4,115,000

Jun 2009

2,388,000 3,649,000 4,142,000

Jul 2009

2,146,000 3,807,000 4,223,000

Aug 2009

2,294,000 3,734,000 4,014,000

Sep 2009

2,434,000 3,846,000 4,062,000

Oct 2009

2,376,000 3,746,000 3,960,000

Nov 2009

2,419,000 3,966,000 3,909,000

Dec 2009

2,490,000 3,819,000 3,968,000

Jan 2010

2,706,000 3,903,000 3,856,000

Feb 2010

2,561,000 3,778,000 3,871,000

Mar 2010

2,652,000 4,189,000 4,004,000

Apr 2010

3,097,000 4,087,000 3,854,000

May 2010

2,900,000 4,368,000 3,863,000

Jun 2010

2,728,000 4,074,000 4,188,000

Jul 2010

2,929,000 4,121,000 4,253,000

Aug 2010

2,869,000 3,914,000 3,978,000

Sep 2010

2,782,000 3,995,000 4,011,000

Oct 2010

3,026,000 4,050,000 3,840,000

Nov 2010

3,072,000 4,110,000 3,952,000

Dec 2010

2,909,000 4,180,000 4,069,000

Jan 2011

2,917,000 3,904,000 3,824,000

Feb 2011

3,065,000 4,035,000 3,862,000

Mar 2011

3,132,000 4,266,000 4,027,000

Apr 2011

3,099,000 4,219,000 3,916,000

May 2011

3,032,000 4,125,000 4,012,000

Jun 2011

3,194,000 4,297,000 4,101,000

Jul 2011

3,417,000 4,180,000 4,052,000

Aug 2011

3,138,000 4,193,000 4,066,000

Sep 2011

3,557,000 4,326,000 4,109,000

Oct 2011

3,422,000 4,217,000 4,069,000

Nov 2011

3,215,000 4,235,000 4,075,000

Dec 2011

3,527,000 4,254,000 4,005,000

Jan 2012

3,653,000 4,296,000 3,960,000

Feb 2012

3,517,000 4,451,000 4,186,000

Mar 2012

3,837,000 4,472,000 4,222,000

Apr 2012

3,627,000 4,305,000 4,246,000

May 2012

3,696,000 4,440,000 4,323,000

Jun 2012

3,785,000 4,338,000 4,278,000

Jul 2012

3,587,000 4,285,000 4,110,000

Aug 2012

3,637,000 4,460,000 4,340,000

Sep 2012

3,614,000 4,220,000 4,054,000

Oct 2012

3,729,000 4,322,000 4,150,000

Nov 2012

3,741,000 4,417,000 4,223,000

Dec 2012

3,640,000 4,361,000 4,050,000

Jan 2013

3,770,000 4,411,000 4,289,000

Feb 2013

4,023,000 4,574,000 4,216,000

Mar 2013

3,891,000 4,289,000 4,201,000

Apr 2013

3,840,000 4,490,000 4,347,000

May 2013

3,829,000 4,554,000 4,335,000

Jun 2013

3,864,000 4,410,000 4,246,000

Jul 2013

3,829,000 4,493,000 4,295,000

Aug 2013

3,893,000 4,647,000 4,413,000

Sep 2013

3,955,000 4,651,000 4,480,000

Oct 2013

4,076,000 4,458,000 4,261,000

Nov 2013

4,073,000 4,616,000 4,307,000

Dec 2013

3,977,000 4,545,000 4,407,000

Jan 2014

3,906,000 4,600,000 4,473,000

Feb 2014

4,160,000 4,698,000 4,486,000

Mar 2014

4,210,000 4,744,000 4,519,000

Apr 2014

4,417,000 4,790,000 4,522,000

May 2014

4,608,000 4,805,000 4,543,000

Jun 2014

4,710,000 4,820,000 4,523,000

Jul 2014

4,726,000 5,003,000 4,711,000

Aug 2014

4,925,000 4,792,000 4,569,000

Sep 2014

4,678,000 5,061,000 4,829,000

Oct 2014

4,849,000 5,106,000 4,906,000

Nov 2014

4,886,000 5,026,000 4,628,000

Dec 2014

4,877,000 5,239,000 4,901,000

Jan 2015

4,965,000 4,994,000 4,834,000

Feb 2015

5,144,000 5,011,000 4,793,000

Mar 2015

5,109,000 5,088,000 5,065,000

Apr 2015

5,334,000 5,034,000 4,895,000

May 2015(p)

5,363,000 5,000,000 4,743,000
Footnotes:

(p) Preliminary.

The number of job openings increased over the 12 months ending in May for total nonfarm, total private, and government (not seasonally adjusted). Job openings rose over the year for many industries, including retail trade, professional and business services, and health care and social assistance. Job openings decreased over the year in mining and logging and in arts, entertainment, and recreation. The number of job openings increased over the year in the South, Midwest, and West regions.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2015” (HTML) (PDF). You can find more charts on job openings, hires, and employment separations in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: May 2015 (PDF). Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings remain high at 5.4 million in May 2015 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/job-openings-remain-high-in-may-2015.htm (visited December 10, 2024).

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